Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

"Why are you sighing? Why aren't you welcoming me?"

"Seventh Sister, no, it's just that the thought of my brother-in-law being gone for four or five months makes me feel uneasy!"

"You little brat, Xue Ru isn't even upset yet, and you're already so blatantly upset?"

"Hey, you don't understand."

"Hey, I'm at least two years older than you, how come I don't understand?"

"Don't listen to her. She's obsessed with reading Dream of the Red Chamber. I'm not feeling well, so you and Ningru go out for a walk tomorrow. I'll pay."

"That's great! I've been here several times already, but I've never been here before. Your husband must be a good earner!"

"You're not an outsider, so I have nothing to hide from you. His uncle found him a good job where he earns more on the side than his salary."

"That's great! Among us sisters, you're the luckiest! I'm practically an old maid and still haven't found a suitable partner."

"Didn't you say you weren't in a hurry?" Xue Ru asked.

"I wasn't in a hurry before because you were with me, but now that you're married, how can I not be anxious! My fourth uncle is really decisive and has a keen eye."

"It's not as good as you think. There's no shortage of food and drink, but as you've seen, Dazhuang stays out all the time."

"Is he seeing someone else?"

"It's hard to say, but it happens from time to time!"

"This won't do. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Qin Xueru looked at her already protruding belly: "How can I control it? You're not married, you don't understand, men..."

"Come on, don't bring up my not being married. Have you forgotten we went to watch donkeys mate? Married couples are all the same!"

"How can you treat people like livestock? I'm not going to talk to you about these troublesome things anymore. Let's stay for a few days first and then talk about it."

"Fine, don't tell me then. Ningru, you've been here for over three months now, don't you miss home?"

"I don't miss home at all. Going home means having to work in the fields. It's much more comfortable here. I've even gained weight in the few months I've been here."

Now it was Yue Ru's turn to sigh: "Sigh! Why am I not as lucky as you two? My brother-in-law is incompetent, and my sister suffers because of him. He's a terrible person, yet he has such high hopes!"

"You noticed?" Xue Ru asked.

"Anyone with eyes can see that this unsolicited kindness is either a trap or a thief. If he were as capable as your husband, I might consider it. It's not uncommon for sisters to marry the same man; there were such cases before Liberation, and there are probably still quite a few now. You know Caiqin from Houwa Village, right?"

"Yes, I know her. What's wrong? I haven't seen her in years. She seems to be a few years older than us."

"Yes, she also came to the city to help her sister take care of the children. She went back to her hometown before the wheat harvest. She was dressed in smooth, shiny clothes without a single patch on her body, and she was wearing a pair of shiny leather shoes."

She also has a child with her, which I heard was born to her brother-in-law.

They say things are unethical to your face, but they envy others behind your back. I've finally seen through it all. What's a good reputation anyway? It's all superficial. Being well-fed and clothed is what really matters.

Hearing her thoughts like this, Qin Xueru felt that the matter she had discussed with Qin Huairu was about 80% settled. However, she couldn't be too hasty and decided to give her a little something to taste first.

While they were having a pleasant conversation, the situation at the Jia family's home was quite different.

"Jia Dongxu, stop with your crooked thoughts. You're incompetent, aren't you? You're all dreaming!"

"I... what was I thinking?" Jia Dongxu stammered when he saw Qin Huairu's tense face.

"At Xue Ru's house, I'm giving you face and won't say anything to you, but you're practically wearing your thoughts on your sleeve."

"I really didn't... Ouch, ouch..." Before she could finish speaking, Qin Huairu grabbed her ear and twisted it.

"Do you want to kneel on a washboard? You still dare to talk nonsense."

"Huai Ru, why are you so irritable lately? It's almost criminal!"

"Hmph! I'm pregnant right now, and you're still thinking about Yue Ru."

Having been pinched so many times before, Jia Dongxu seized the opportunity while she was speaking, suddenly turned his head, and broke free from Qin Huairu's clutches.

He grinned, rubbed his ear, and said defiantly, "I was afraid of hurting the child."

"Go to hell! I didn't see you being any more powerful when you weren't pregnant!" Qin Huairu said, holding up three fingers.

"What do you mean?"

"Three minutes? No, three minutes is an exaggeration. It'll only take a minute."

"We don't have a clock at home, how do you know it's only one minute? Maybe it's five minutes."

"Five minutes? Do you even believe that? I can't count without a clock, one, two, three, that's it!"

"That's incredibly insulting. You keep counting, I'm going to try."

"You are beautiful, and I am happy to be with you."

Let me tell you, don't even think about hitting on Yue Ru. She's not as easy to talk to as I am. If you anger her, she'll give you a good beating. I'm not going to lose face with you.

I know what you're thinking. You're just envious of Niu Dazhuang, right? Don't just be envious, learn some skills yourself!

Besides the household expenses, you also give me about ten yuan a month for pocket money, which you can spend however you like.

When money was mentioned, Jia Dongxu wilted, looking like a frostbitten eggplant.

He retorted, "He just has a good uncle who found him a good job. If I had a good uncle, I'd earn just as much as him."

"You can't envy this. You can only blame your mother for not hooking up with Grandpa Niu back then."

"Shh... Keep your voice down. Sigh! My dad died early. In the pre-liberation era, it was a miracle that my mom didn't remarry and take me with her."

"You're kidding me. Bringing a burden like you into the house means two more mouths to feed. Who can afford to support that?"

However, there's one thing I think your mom did quite well; I even admire her a little bit.

"Which point?"

"Under such difficult circumstances, your mother didn't resort to underhanded methods and still managed to raise you. I find that quite admirable."

These words deeply moved Jia Dongxu.

"Hey! Thank you for understanding. When people are starving, they're capable of anything."

So, given how my mom acts outside, there's not much I can say.

"I thought you didn't know?"

"How could I not know? I was seven or eight years old when my master lived at home."

Qin Huairu suddenly blurted out, "You wouldn't happen to be your master's son, would you?"

"Absolutely not. Hey, you've been going to Xue Ru's house so often, have you noticed anything?" Jia Dongxu didn't want to talk about this topic anymore, so he steered the conversation towards Xue Ru.

"What did you find out? Stop being so suspicious all the time."

"Everyone in the compound is saying that Ningru has been ruined by Dazhuang."

"Isn't that what Aunt Qi said? I forgot how Xue Ru retorted. They're not afraid, so they'll just keep spouting nonsense."

"Hehe...you know what, Xue Ru might actually be right. But it's not the Qi family that's committing incest."

This topic was so explosive that Qin Huairu stopped lying down and simply sat up.